A leader of the Duwamish and Suquamish peoples, siʔaɬ died on this day in 1866, after a long and eventful life. He is known to us as Chief Seattle, the namesake of the city of Seattle. Born between 1780 and 1786 in the Suquamish village of dxʷsəq̓ʷəb on Agate Pass, as a young boy, he encountered Royal Navy ships commanded by George Vancouver on the 1791-5 expedition to the west coast of the North America. He often recalled the experience later in life, and it may explain is fascination with Europeans and their culture. And yet he was a storied and violent warrior as a young adult. He led raids among the indigenous tribes, which often enslaved people captured in raids. But around 1848, soon after the death of a son in war with the Chemakum, siʔaɬ sought baptism into the Catholic Church. He stopped fighting and sought cooperation with America settlers, inviting them to settle and trade with his people. The Duramish renounced his leadership after his support of the Treaty of Point Elliot, which ceded millions of acres of land to the United States. But the Suquamish people continued to revere and support him until his death. His grave in the Suquamish Tribal Cemetery in Seattle has a monument to his life, and statues were created in Pioneer Square and Denny Triangle in the early 20th Century. One of four fireboats of the Seattle Fire Department is MV Chief Seattle. Today I enjoyed an epic ride from Venice, through Hollywood, and up to Griffith Observatory, the first time I've biked up to the observatory. It was cloudy, almost misty until I got Hollywood, and then sunny and cool the rest of the day. From the observatory, I rode through Griffith Park, past Mount Hollywood and down to Forest Lawn Drive along the L.A. River. After a long slog west throuh North Hollywood, in Sherman Oaks I was delighted to encounter hundreds of riders of the last-ever AIDS Ride, on their way from Ventura. I rode with them over the Sepulveda pass and all the way back to Palisades Park in Santa Monica. What a joyous addition to an enjoyable ride! Credit: https://w.wiki/3qVu